This Day In Sports History (December 9th) — Eddie George

It was on this day in 1995 that Ohio State University running back Eddie George was named as the Heisman Trophy winner. George beat out future NFL stars Peyton Manning, Keyshawn Johnson and Warrick Dunn to take home the award.

In his first couple of seasons at Ohio State, George battled fumbling issues, which led to less playing time in a backup role. However, he was named the starter in his junior year and had a very productive season, but it was not until his senior season that George reached his full potential. Eddie had a monster final season at Ohio State, rushing for a school record 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was drafted in the first round (14th overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and went on to win the Rookie of the Year.

Eddie George was the prototypical workhorse running back, as he carried the ball at least 330 times in five of his eight seasons with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans organization. Many people believe that George’s heavy workload was what led to his injuries and decline in production over his last few seasons.